The relationship between quality management practices, organizational innovation, and technical innovation in higher education

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of quality management practices (QMPs) on innovation in higher education (HE), and how organizational innovation (OI) may influence technical innovation. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses were tested with partial least squares structural equation modeling on a sample of 449 valid responses by faculty members in Naples (Italy) public universities. Findings The findings support the interdependent relationships between QMPs and their positive impact on innovation. It was found that some QMPs impact on innovation through people and process management, and that OI predicts the technical one. Practical implications Directors should recognize the differences between QMPs to implement effective quality management (QM) strategy. Furthermore, they should combine technical and OIs. Originality/value Despite the existence of several studies on QM and innovation in manufacturing and services, there are only a few in HE. Based on a multi-dimensional QM approach, this paper investigates the different effects each QMP has on both the other QMPs and innovation in HE.